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Thursday, July 28, 2016

Sarah Jarosz could possibly be tired of Gillian Welch comparisons (although probably not), but her music is so emotionally complex and sonically mature there just aren’t many other comparisons to be made. Her latest, Undercurrent (Sugar Hill Records), shows a singer/songwriter that’s willing to explore the depths of life, both internal and external, and craft timeless melodies around her discoveries. The bluegrassy roots out front in her early work are used sparingly here, heard more as subtle foundations, which allows her voice and raw melodic approach to carry the songs. What is out front is Sarah’s confidence and ease of exposing the nerve endings scraped raw by the ephemeral nature of young love, both true and forbidden.I guess I'll stand right here and hold my tongueMaybe I'm not the only one'Cause do you feel this undercurrentAnd the changing of the tides?When I'm with you, babyWe've got everything to hide
--Everything To Hide

One of her most impressive abilities is to take under-represented acoustic instruments; such as an octave mandolin, cello, and open-back banjo, and bring forth sonically fresh sounds that are directly in the Americana music landscape, but also weave in and out of the terrestrial and angelic. (Again, there’s only one other musician comparable here--it must be lonely at the top for these two.)

Jarosz’s singing voice, which, in my opinion, seems to be overshadowed by her songwriting and instrumental abilities, is so full and natural that it easily carries the stripped down nature of these songs. In “Take Another Turn” her voice exudes the confidence of an eternal seeker “What does it mean to be hungry? / Hungry and hunting and wild / And only the best will allow you to rest / till you’re hungry again come the morning time”

In the tracks “Back Of My Mind” and “Comin' Undone” Jarosz slyly introduces us to her electric side with a pedal steel, an electric guitar, and a B3 organ, all composed and played with such taste and patience you’d be forgiven for not being consciously aware of their presence. The effect is an underlying sense of young American angst with all the genuine honesty you’d expect out of the 25 year old Jarosz.

Undercurrent is not an album about love, it’s an album that confronts the loss of love as coming-of-age requirement to be faced head-on before any possibility of real love can be realized. It’s an album that knows nothing real can ever be gained through starry-eyed romanticism, but that only embracing and understanding the depths of heartbreak can we learn who we truly are and where we are going. The realism of the emotional revelations and the surprising reminder of how much “new” can still be found within these “old” instruments makes this album not just a success, but a pivotal marker in Sarah’s long career ahead.

--Brian Paul Swenk

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Be sure to check out the Lonesome Banjo sponsors:The Photobooth: by Andy Cox Photography
This is a full-service mobile portrait studio specializing in festivals and private events. Unlike those other "touch-screen" boxes, they offer a professional studio photography experience with a professionally trained photographer. Prints are produced within minutes of a portrait session so that guests can leave after a session with a souvenir.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

While many bands in today’s music scene claim cross-cultural and multi-genre influences, few pull it off with the ease and mastery of Hip Bones. They proudly promote some of the more interesting and apt descriptions of their music: renegade jazz, psychedelic funk, and monsters of the mashup. If you look closely, you’ll notice the album is put out on “Groosion Records,” a playful mashup of “groove” and “fusion,” the groove being the most apparent in the first 5 seconds of hitting play.

Hip Bones is made up of sax man and flutist Gary Schwantes, who also is co-producer and writes their original material; drummer Robin Tolleson, a co-producer and top drummer in the Asheville, NC scene (as well as a writer for Modern Drummer Magazine); and two bass players, Jake Wolf and Shannon Hoover. Wolf and Hoover share the touring and recording load and at times can be seen together on-stage deep in a double-bass blowout.

The opening of the album features drums and bass so solid and groovy that you can rightly assume the entire album will be something special. The opening track, “P-Stomp” (Stream this song at bottom of the page) is a Schwantes original and establishes the vision of this work as one that flirts around jazz structure and melodies without losing the danceable and very engaging rhythm and funk foundation.

It’s hard to pick out a highlight of an EP this solid, but the cover of Radiohead’s “High and Dry” could be the leading contender. While rhythmically staying true to the original laid-back vibe, Schwantes’ soprano saxophone work exposes the delicate melody to be even stronger than the Radiohead original. Some say that to cover a song you have to make it better than the original, which is not always true; to cover a song you have to find some aspect of the song and make it better, which is exactly what Schwantes does here with his punctuated phrasing of the melody. “One of the things that's always been a trademark of Hip Bones,” says Tolleson, “is to borrow from popular music and deconstruct it with a jazz attitude. We've had Beatles, Cream, Hendrix, Sting, the O'Jays, and Stevie Wonder covers on previous CDs. I like it when people don't quite get what it is at first but know it in a way--then when they realize what the song is it's like they're rewarded twice.” As a testament to the “fusion” of their “groosion,” they bring in Columbia, SC rapper Preach Jacobs to lyrically dance around the chorus and verse. The effect is subtle but seems to be the final missing piece of the puzzle, one that you didn’t even know was missing until it appears--artistry at its finest. (See Soundcloud link below)

To reach into the other side of the southern music spectrum they bring in banjo player Andy Pond (Snake Oil Medicine Show, Future Man) for some backup rhythm work on “Country Chicken,” another Schwantes original tune. Schwantes’ original songs walk a fine line of jazz phrasings that will keep the interest of earnest jazz fans, with driving, danceable grooves that’s easily accessible for fans of rock and funk. One of the cohesive factors of the musicians in Hip Bones seems to be the ability to play over everyone’s head without the need to. “We've kind of always wanted to camouflage [our jazz chops] in Hip Bones, writing and arranging with strong melodic content and keeping the rhythms strong, solid, and funky, even danceable frequently. Simplicity is beautiful. Emotion. That's what I love. Creative ways to play strong grooves. We try to avoid traditional jazz forms too -- it's interesting to vary it, interact, but remember we're playing for people,” says Tolleson.

The album ends with the monumental Grateful Dead classic “Dark Star,” featuring legendary soul singer Sidney Barnes (The Rotary Connection) on vocals. The tight drum/bass connection that starts the album and remains a constant foundation throughout jumps to the forefront on this track. Much like “High and Dry,” they find and explore an aspect of this song, the deep looping bass line and pulsating groove of the drums, that is not fully realized in the original. The combination of the flute and sax, along with Barnes’ soulful and very respectful rendition of the verses, results in a rendition that stays true enough to the original to satisfy the purist Deadhead while still being new and refreshing.

The Moose Lodge Sessions is an album that you only need one button for: play. The length of the EP is just over 34 minutes and every moment seems to be played with ease and soul. To find out more about Hip Bones and their first three albums, visit www.hipbones.net.

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Be sure to check out the Lonesome Banjo sponsors:The Photobooth: by Andy Cox Photography
This is a full-service mobile portrait studio specializing in festivals and private events. Unlike those other "touch-screen" boxes, they offer a professional studio photography experience with a professionally trained photographer. Prints are produced within minutes of a portrait session so that guests can leave after a session with a souvenir.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

**If you are new to podcasts, check out the explanation and instructions at the bottom of the page**

In this episode we talk to Sam Calhoun about being one of five full time, year-around employees of FloydFest.

Download from iTunes here (and subscribe in the Podcast app on your phone!)
Or stream from Soundcloud at the bottom of the page

Sam Calhoun with co-founders Erika Johnson and Kris Hodges

Between being a stage actor in NYC, putting on hippy music festivals in Boone, NC, and trying to single-handedly change the mission of a small town newspaper, Sam's experience within the American arts and culture scene is both unique and expansive.

He talks about what happens behind the scenes at the festival, what it costs to pay all the bands, and how FloydFest almost became too commercial one year and how they've made changes to not let that happen again.

Andy Cox Photography is a proud sponsor of FloydFest for the second year, and will be located on the left-hand side of the main stage of vendor row. They will be offering three different instant print products: classic photostrips, a 4x6 photo collage, and single 4x6 prints, all branded with the FloydFest logo and artwork. VIP's should look for their free print coupons in their VIP swag bags!

And don't forget to check out these Lonesome Banjo Chronicles partners:The Big What? Festival: July 21-23 near Mebane, NC

If you enjoy, please sign the email list on the left and follow:FacebookTwitter

***If you are new to podcasts here is a quick explanation. Podcasts are basically a recorded radio/audio show that can be downloaded and/or streamed to your phone, tablet, or computer. If you have an iPhone, you have a podcast app on there already. Open it and search "lonesome banjo chronicles." If you click "subscribe" the latest episode will download automatically when you're connected to wifi, or you can manually download any episode whenever you like. If you have any other type of phone, download the Soundcloud app, search for Lonesome Banjo Chronicles and you can stream from there. Hope this helps. Thanks for the support!***

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

**If you're new to podcasts, there is an explanation at the bottom of the page**

In this week's episode we talk with Nick MacDaniels, singer and guitarist from the Burlington, NC band Big Something.

Nick talks about what it takes to balance the growth of a band as well as running their festival, The Big What?.

He describes how the festival got started and what it's like behind the scenes. He also talks about what's the most important lessons he's learned, and why he thinks The Big What? experience is unique for both fans and musicians.

He also tells us about the worst moment Big Something has had onstage and how they overcame it.

A big thanks to Floyd Fest for making us an official partner last week! Floyd Fest is consistently voted as one of the best southeastern experiences by numerous publications every year.
This year's headliners include: Greg Allman, Bruce Hornsby, Greensky Bluegrass, The Wood Bros, Warren Haynes, Railroad Earth, Femi Kuti and Positive Force, and many others.
This year's festival is July 27-31st. Check out www.floydfest.com for more info.

A spotify playlist highlighting bands both past and present from the festival: The Big What?

--Brian Paul Swenk

If you enjoy, please sign the email list on the left and follow:FacebookTwitter

***If you are new to podcasts here is a quick explanation. Podcasts are basically a recorded radio/audio show that can be downloaded and/or streamed to your phone, tablet, or computer. If you have an iPhone, you have a podcast app on there already. Open it and search "lonesome banjo chronicles." If you click "subscribe" the latest episode will download automatically when you're connected to wifi, or you can manually download any episode whenever you like. If you have any other type of phone, download the Soundcloud app, search for Lonesome Banjo Chronicles and you can stream from there. Hope this helps. Thanks for the support!***

Friday, July 1, 2016

**If you're new to podcasts, scroll to the bottom for instructions on listening and downloading**

In this episode I talk with Nikki Talley, a singer/songwriter that has spent the last four years living in a van with her husband Jason Sharp.

Most musicians say they live in a van or bus, but Nikki and Jason gave up a good job and their house to become full time musical vagabonds--a dream many have, but few would ever attempt.

They were recently profiled by the site TinyHouseTinyFootprint.com, which featured some of Jason's great photography.

We talk about their decision to go to the Telluride Songwriting Contest and why placing second might have been better than placing first. Nikki also talks about having 500 songs written and how the idea of success changes as we get older.

We listen to four songs:"Travelin On" 25:28
"Rainy Day" 51:11
"Railroad Boy" 1:05:11
"Go Out On The Water" 1:21:08

This episode is brought to you by "The Big What?". A NC music festival hosted by Big Something that takes place July 21-23 near Mebane, NC. Featured headliners include: Turkuaz, Spiritual Rez, Dr. Bacon, The Werks, and Pigeons Playing Pingpong.

And also by Floyd Fest. A World Music festival that features outdoor experiences such as Mtn biking, river floats, disc golf, and daily hikes.
Consistently listed as one of the top festival experiences of the east coast, Floyd Fest 16 will feature: Greg Allman, Bruce Hornsby, Warren Haynes, Leftover Salmon, Greensky Bluegrass, Shaky Graves, Nathaniel Rateliff, Railroad Earth, The Wood Bros, and many others.

--Brian Paul Swenk

If you enjoy, please sign the email list on the left and follow:FacebookTwitter

***If you are new to podcasts here is a quick explanation. Podcasts are basically a recorded radio/audio show that can be downloaded and/or streamed to your phone, tablet, or computer. If you have an iPhone you have a podcast app on there already. Open it and search "lonesome banjo chronicles." If you click "subscribe" the latest episode will download automatically when you're connected to wifi, or you can manually download any episode whenever you like. If you have any other type of phone, download the Soundcloud app, search for Lonesome Banjo Chronicles and you can stream from there. Hope this helps. Thanks for the support!***